Pioneerland’s policies and attitude

Recently, I attended a library meeting in the Pioneerland region. Also in attendance were librarians, commissioners, media people, and other ordinary citizens. Mark Ranum, head of Pioneerland and Plum Creek Library systems (over 50 local libraries in southwest Minnesota) traveled to this meeting from his home in the St. Paul/...

Comment

Granite Falls Advocate Tribune

Writer

Posted Jun. 5, 2014 at 4:37 PM
Updated Jun 5, 2014 at 4:39 PM

Posted Jun. 5, 2014 at 4:37 PM
Updated Jun 5, 2014 at 4:39 PM

Recently, I attended a library meeting in the Pioneerland region. Also in attendance were librarians, commissioners, media people, and other ordinary citizens. Mark Ranum, head of Pioneerland and Plum Creek Library systems (over 50 local libraries in southwest Minnesota) traveled to this meeting from his home in the St. Paul/Minneapolis metropolitan area. At this meeting I learned the following:

1. Librarians and other library employees were told that any opposition to Pioneerland policies would be considered “insubordinate.” Mr. Ranum, as head of the system, will decide who and what is or is not “insubordinate.”As most any employee knows, “insubordination” is very often given as a reason for immediate firing, often with loss of all benefits accrued, and little or no chance to find other work.

2. According to Mr. Ranum, local persons, including library workers, commissioners, library board members and the general public will be allowed no effective “say” or contribution regarding who is hired to work at, or be in charge of, any local library. Hiring decisions will be made by Pioneerland hierarchy alone, although local people (under certain circumstances and within certain limits defined by Pioneerland) “may” be “allowed some input.” It was made quite clear that no local “input” would influence a Pioneerland decision on who would work in any local library.

3. Mr. Ranum stated quite forcefully that any book (or any library item) that has not been “checked out” in five years must be removed immediately from library shelves, no matter what. Mr. Ranum made it very clear that the purpose of libraries under his control is to provide readers/users with desirable current popular items, and that the library is no longer a “storehouse of knowledge” or place to do research. I was informed by Mr. Ranum that Pioneerland libraries are not “academic”libraries; they are there mainly to provide the people with “wanted items,”and Pioneerland policies and procedures would determine what “wanted items” are.

4. Mr. Ranum also stated that it was his firm opinion (and Pioneerland policy) that a college or graduate library degree and accredited professional study/training were not as important in his (Pioneerland¹s) hiring process or philosophy as “other meaningful experience.” What is or is not “other meaningful experience” in the hiring and promotion policy will, of course, be decided by the Pioneerland hierarchy.

I found these statements very interesting and enlightening. I believe that Mr. Ranum¹s very clear, strong statements indicate exactly and accurately Pioneerland¹s attitudes and policies concerning local people and local libraries.